Unbelievably stupid amendment in the PA House

Here's a quarter, call someone who cares," sincerely, Rep. Grucela

The idea of PA House Bill 288 is very simple:

House Bill 288 requires all Pennsylvania hospitals to provide information and access to emergency contraception medication to rape victims if they request it.

It's so freaking simple and straightforward that some idiots in the Pennsylvania House can't keep their stupid hands off of it. Or rather, it has such widespread public support that the opposition is running scared and will try anything to water it down.

The latest amendment is by Rep. Grucela:

Grucela introduced an amendment which "allows" a victim to call an immediate family member about her assault, who would be expected to bring emergency contraception to the hospital, rather than have it provided by the medical professionals in charge of her care.

I'm sorry, but can you name any other circumstance in which a hospital lets family members give drugs to patients willy-nilly in an emergency room? Can you say LIABILITY?

Do you know of any other class of patients who are expected to have family members treat them in an emergency room?!?

Why is it if she's a victim of rape, she's subjected to a lesser standard of medical care!?

And, what if she's there because she was incested? What "immediate family member" is she supposed to call?

This is un-freaking-real!

Please call your House member and make sure they have the facts straight!

Support House Bill 288 with the Ross amendment.

Oppose the Grucela amendment, and any additional amendments to the bill.

If your legislator happens to be Rep. Grucela, let his office know you are appalled that he would even consider an amendment that puts the burden of care on the victim rather than medical providers.

Please take a moment to call today to get your legislator on record!

You can find your legislator at:
http://www.ppaction.org/planned_pa/leg-lookup/search.html

And then, let Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania Advocates know you called here so they can track the support.
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URGENT! Email Your Rep to Support EC Access for Rape Survivors Now

Emergency Contraception for Rape Victims:

VOTE HAPPENS TODAY!

House Bill 288, the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act, will finally have a vote in the Pennsylvania House TODAY!

House Bill 288 requires all Pennsylvania hospitals to provide information about and access to emergency contraception (EC) medication to rape survivors if they request it - a critical tool to empower survivors by giving them a choice when it comes to preventing a pregnancy as a result of assault.

The opposition is flooding House members with emails, and now the women of Pennsylvania need YOU to stand up and do the same. This vote will be extremely close and adding your voice can make the difference.

You can email your rep via NARAL Pro-Choice Pennsylvania or via Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, but, you have to do it right NOW.

THANKS!

Basketball, Birth Control and Bloggers: Pgh Women Round Up

From today's Tribune Review comes word that a local young woman is a finalist for a slot on the USA's womens basketball team. Charal Allen, a graduate of Monessen, and current senior at Notre Dame has this to say about her accomplishment:

"This means the world to me," Allen said. "Not only do I have the opportunity to
represent the U.S., but also my family, my school and everyone around me
that has been so supportive -- I'm just very excited to have had the
opportunity to tryout.
"I'm going to go and work as hard as I can, bring my game, and do
whatever I have to so I can make the team."

I am soooo not an athlete and don't really follow sports that closely, but I think it is important that women and girls have equal opportunities to participate and hone their skills. Young women like Charal illustrate why it was so important to get Rene Portland out of Penn State. Go Charal!

Today the FDA approved Lybrel, the first birth control pill intended to stop our menstruation all together. It will hit the market in July. The pill contains a low dose of two hormones already widely used in birth-control pills, ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel. Some are lauding the end of menstrual issues; others are concerned about the medicalization of menstruation, especially given the lack of understanding of the long-term effects.

Does this give women control over our bodies? Consider this - with Lybrel, it is difficult to determine you are pregnant (no BC pill is 100% effective) b/c there's no missed period. So conceivably you could discover a pregnancy in your second trimester. What would this mean for having access to abortions in states with restrictive laws? Huh.

Now I am fortunate not to need birth control (being a lesbian has its perks), but I do take birth control pills to treat endometriosis. I sure like having things regulated, minimal pain or discomfort, and less severe PMS symptoms. But I'd see no need to eliminate my period altogether. There's no allure for me. I use organic tampons and pads so I worry less about inserting unnecessary toxins and chemicals into my body.

The Chicago Foundation for Women has both sides of the debate.

I was going to write about women and blogging, but I'm saving that for a separate post. Your thoughts?